• What's special: "Hand-written calligraphy lends a very personal specialness to whatever document, envelope or letter I write on," Kate Smith said. "I feel like too much stuff is done on computer these days. It used to be you got something printed by a laser printer, and that was special and unique, but now that's everything. People are starting to appreciate hand-written letters more and more as it becomes more and more scarce."

• The origin story: Now 40, Smith became interested in calligraphy at age 9 through a kit that was given to her for Christmas. She continued to practice calligraphy styles such as bubble and 3-D lettering in school. For her wedding invitations, she worked with master calligraphers in Atlanta who helped her improve her skills. She began professional lettering about three years ago.

• How long does it take to make: Smith works on a variety of lettering projects, including greeting cards, love letters and posters, but the bulk of her orders are for wedding invitation envelopes, which take about 10 hours for a batch of 100. "It's quite peaceful to me," she said. "The envelope is the very first thing someone sees that pertains to someone's wedding. That's kind of important."

• What it costs: $1.50-$4 per lettered envelope; custom orders start at $40

• Plans: Smith is developing a line of premade greeting cards and invitations.

• Lessons of the trade: "Act like a business, not like a best friend," Smith said. "Acting like a friend doesn't help the client or myself. Also, don't be afraid to suggest something a little eccentric or a little different. At first, I just assumed everyone would want something traditional, but that's not the case."